Walkabout California: Local Inn-to-Inn Hiking Escapes

The Little River Inn in Mendocino, photographed by Tom Courtney...
imagine coming upon this sight at the end of a long day's hike!

In our household we love to hike, but one of us (psst—it's my husband) doesn't love the hassle of backpacking and would rather sleep in a warm bed than a cold tent. Inn-to-inn hiking trips seem like the perfect compromise, don't they? You wake up in your comfy room, eat a delicious breakfast, set off for the day through the beautiful wilds, and make it to the next lodging in time for cocktails. This type of traveling is fairly common in Europe, but not as popular here in the States. Fortunately, Tom and Emily Courtney, a clever dad-and-daughter pair, have recognized that Northern California is perfect for inn-to-inn escapes, and they've developed itineraries to assist willing hikers...

Tennessee Cove, a stop on the Marin Coast Walkabout

It might seem daunting to plan an inn-to-inn trip yourself, but the Courtneys offer detailed itineraries, complete with trail notes, suggested stops, lodging recommendations, and the like. All of the current available guides are for hikes in Northern California, including Lassen Volcanic National Park, the Mendocino Area, and Monterey Bay. How to choose??

The PDF itineraries are available for download at Walkabout California for $5 apiece. The site also hosts community forums where those who've done inn-to-inn hikes can describe their trips and offer helpful advice.

Walkabout California is featured in this month's Sunset, as well as in this week's edition of the fabulous Weekend Sherpa.

(Images: Tom Courtney)

Comments (3)

This sounds like a great idea! I'm a big fan of a bed after a long day of hiking (although I'm a bigger fan of hot baths, I can sleep pretty much anywhere). Definitely will need to check this out.

posted by Tiamat_the_Red on July 16th 2009 at 1:20pm
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This does sound like a fantastic idea. I love the "long walks outdoors" part of hiking...the "sleeping on the ground" part, not so much.

posted by UdonNoodles on July 16th 2009 at 2:25pm
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This looks fantastic. We have been doing this in Europe for years, and wishing we could do it at home.

Inntravel is a fantastic company in the UK that arranges similar hikes in Europe, plus one or two in the US. We've used them on a number of walks and always been very pleased.

http://www.inntravel.co.uk/

posted by Dulcibella on July 17th 2009 at 8:58am
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